BY: ABDULKADIR M LAWAN, MARCH 06, 2025/ 7:30PM

Prof. Bello Alhaji Ibrahim, Executive Chairman of Borno State Internal Revenue Service, has responded to allegations made by Abubakar Jidda, Chairman of the National Freight Hauliers' Association (NFHA) Borno State Chapter.

Jidda accused Prof. Bello of halting their tax collection activities after just two days of operation in the state.

He made the accusations on Wednesday during an interview with journalists at his office in Maiduguri.

Jidda claimed that NFHA, an accredited vendor organization recommended by the Joint Task Board (JTB) at the federal level for tax collection in state internal revenue, was stopped by Prof. Bello.

This decision, according to Jidda, resulted in the loss of employment opportunities for at least 400 youths in the state.

Jidda explained that NFHA supposed to start operations with an inter-state single sticker and intra-state haulage, but Prof. Bello only gave them approval for the inter-state single sticker, which he deemed improper.

'All arrangements have been put to start operation and we started it, but after two days, we encountered an issue of double taxation,' Jidda said.

However, in an interview with journalists at his office in Maiduguri, Prof. Bello countered that NFHA's operations were suspended in the best interest of the people of Borno State.

'It is in the interest of the people of Borno State that I stopped the work of NFHA,' Prof. Bello sais.

He emphasized that NFHA's right to operate in the state was not automatic, but rather a privilege granted by the state internal revenue service.

Prof. Bello explained that NFHA began collecting taxes within the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) area, which was not part of their designated working area.

'The first mistake they did is, they started within the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, MMC, which is not part of their working area.

'The inter-state single sticker is for the goods coming from another state to Borno State, so they supposed to be at the entrance of Borno State, not within the local governments,' he explained.

According to Prof. Bello, he received complaints from people of MMC, Damboa, Biu, and other areas, stating that they could not afford to pay both local government taxes (intra-state haulage) and the inter-state single sticker.

'At their second day of their operation, I received calls from people in MMC, Damboa, Biu, among others, that they can't afford to pay for the local government (intra-state haulage) and also pay for inter-state single sticker,' Prof. Bello explained.

He said this led to tensions among motorists, prompting him to suspend NFHA's operations entirely.

'I cancelled the contract for peace to reign in Borno State because we cannot sacrifice our state's peace, no matter what it takes,' Prof. Bello emphasized.

Prof. Bello revealed that he had suspended all vendors, including NFHA, upon assuming office in 2023 due to irregularities and loopholes in the system.

He claimed to have generated N74 million in revenue within a month, a significant increase from the N6.9 million generated by vendors over two years.

Prof. Bello stated that he retained 60 youths who were working for the vendors, paying them N50,000 monthly.

He emphasized that his actions were in the best interest of the people of Borno State, and he would not allow NFHA to operate in a manner that could compromise the state's stability.

'What I did is the best, and they will not do the work as far as I'm the chairman of BOIRS,' Prof. Bello assured.